May as well join the spirit... I'm Rich, I signed-up for CW in 2003 aged just about 18, when I still used my full name, which I now don't really like at all as it sounds hopelessly over-formal; as of this post I'm (sadly) 24.

I've been playing with cricket-bats (of increasing size) and balls (initially tennis-balls, then orange KwikCricket windballs, then hardballs) since I could stand, have never been all that good but am able to hold my own in a serious game of organised eleven-a-side cricket, for which I'm grateful. My Dad's a huge fan of the game as well, and was always a better player than me - in fact was right up to the 2009 season after which he's finally retired at the age of 56. My first memories are of watching the 1991/92 World Cup with him, as England were beaten in the final by Pakistan, and I watched on and off, more and more, until 1998 when England played South Africa and I was completely captivated, and also came to love those two teams. I've followed both of them avidly since then, and since 2000 I've also followed just about all Test teams to some degree, as well as domestic cricket in England and to some small degree Australia and South Africa.

CricketWeb forum is easily the best online cricket-discussing community around in my experience - well ahead of the pack.

I'm Martyn, but you can call me GIMH. I'm not as old as I look but older than I act. Hi.

Some things that will help you understand my posts - I am unashamedly biased to the England cricket team, Andrew Flintoff walks on water and I love world-class all-rounders hence the Broad/Swann love in my signature who are unmatched amongst their peers. Aside from cricket I enjoy football, you'll also catch me stalking the wrestling thread if you venture outside of CC.

I'm four_or_six, I've always been surrounded by cricket as long as I can remember, TV, radio, watching and playing club cricket. I used to play a bit but stopped when I was at uni, and I wasn't really that good. I just liked keeping wicket. So now I just watch and bore people to death waffling on about it.

Hmm, unfortunately that wouldn't fit with the whole being terrible at cricket thing.

Originally Posted by Athlai

Fits perfectly actually.

Used to like watching Salim Malik bat, personally.

Anyway, in way of introduction and to answer one of Richard's longstanding questions, the team I support is

>>>>>>WHHOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHH>>>>>>Fascist Dictator of the Heath Davis Appreciation SocietySupporting Petone's Finest since the very start - Iain O'Brien
Adam Wheater - Another batsman off the Essex production line
Also Supporting the All Time #1 Batsman of All Time Ever - Jacques Kallis and the much maligned Peter Siddle.

I know what deed poll is, I just don't know that f_o_s meant "deed pole".

Oh fair enough, didn't pick up on her misspelling, Just saw you ask the question with the correct spelling and took it to be a question about deed poll, rather than questioning over the spelling of deed pole. Apologies.